Over Pronation
In my first blog I talked about the normal biomechanics of the foot and ankle. This is important, and what sets a podiatric surgeon apart is our strong knowledge of how the foot and ankle move. Once you know and understand the way a foot is supposed to move, you can then begin to see what abnormal motion can cause. The most common abnormal motion that creates problems in the foot is overpronation. When the arch of the foot collapses excessively downward or inward, this is known as overpronation. Sometimes, people call this condition flat feet.
Once you know and understand the way a foot is supposed to move, you can then begin to see what abnormal motion can cause.
Pronation is a normal and refers to the way the foot moves side to side when a person is walking or running. Pronation is when the foot is everted, abducted, and dorsiflexed. Eversion is a frontal plane deformity where the heel is pointing outward. Adduction is a transverse plane deformity where the toes are pointing outward. Dorsiflexion is a sagittal plane motion where the toes are pointing upward. You put all three motions together and this is when you get pronation. Overpronation is when the foot rolls inward toward the arch excessively and can cause various injuries. Overpronation causes instability in the foot, upon stance and gait the foot has no support and abnormal push off. This can lead to all sorts of problems in the adult and child. Athletes, particularly runners are at an increased risk of overuse injuries.
